Mark Pryor: “I see my colleague from Oregon is here, and he has a long history with this legislation and other legislation similar to…”

“I see my colleague from Oregon is here, and he has a long history with this legislation and other legislation similar to it. Let me make one final point before I try to set aside the current amendment and bring up 740 to make it pending. My final point is this: The Internet has been an amazing success story. It is unbelievable how successful it has been, how diverse, and how robust. But we think of it as ubiquitous. The truth is, it is not. In the United States, 80 percent of American households have access to the Internet, but only 65 percent take it. So only 65 percent of people in this country actually utilize the Internet and take Internet service. I am afraid if we do add a tax, if the State and local governments add a tax, it will make it less affordable. A lot of people do not take Internet service because they cannot afford it. So I am afraid if we allow State and local governments to tax access to the Internet--tax the service itself--then we will see that effort hurt even more. I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and call up amendment No. 740 to make it pending. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Heinrich). Is there objection?”